Tag: Patience

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Letting Patience Have Her Perfect Work

Any more, when I begin to get “careful” about something that comes up during my day, God reminds me of the scripture in Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing, Mark.”  What a blessing the Bible is to my life.

Learning To Live In God’s Home

I was brought up in a home where I was taught to worry…about money, our reputation, what others thought about us, etc.

It’s a real mystery.  There was a time when I couldn’t trust God, when I didn’t truly know Him.  I didn’t have any “trust God” in me.  I thought I trusted God, but I didn’t really.  I didn’t know He was taking care of me.  I was really scared, pretty much full of hopelessness and unbelief.  It was a really tough existence of living in a spiritual “no man’s land” calling ourselves Christians but full of confusion and fear.

Then, my wife and I began memorizing pertinent scriptures.  If it was true, like so many people said it was, we wanted the Bible to become a reality in our lives and were told that this was one tangible way to get it into our hearts, minds and spirits to put an end to worry, unbelief, fear, and hopelessness.

One day I was aware of something new in my spirit.  I thought it was a small amount of “trust.”  It wasn’t there and then it was, and it began to grow.  How does that happen?  How does the Holy Spirit put “trust” in our hearts?  Pretty amazing miracle…

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:  thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:  and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Psalm 23

God’s drawing us close to Him, to the safe, comfortable, secure, joyful, loving dwelling place of the Most High.  He’s taking us home to live in His house, forever…beginning today.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.
James 1:4 KJV

And let endurance (patience) have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.
James 1:4 AMP

When I was in elementary school, we had to learn to count to 100, the parts of speech, the alphabet and multiplication tables.  We used flash cards over and over until we memorized this important knowledge that we’d use for the rest of our lives.

Ever notice how God likes to repeat spiritual lessons?  He does so to draw us closer and closer to Him.  God’s work in our lives is so thorough.  He desires to grow us up in Him, in His ways, in His understanding, trust, peace, love and joy.  He wants us to live with Him.  So, to bring this about, He takes us through the same lessons over and over again.  That’s what it takes for us to live this life free in Him.

Why does God ask us to let patience have her perfect work so that we can be perfect and entire lacking nothing?  Well, first we have to understand what takes place as we let patience have her perfect work?  The works of the flesh, in our lives, are replaced with the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians chapter 5 in the Bible).  In other words, the fruit of the Spirit is developed in us and takes over our lives the longer we choose to walk and live with Jesus, the longer we let patience have her perfect work in us.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Philippians 1:6

When we become aware of His trust being developed in us, Christianity really becomes fun.  You begin to sense that God’s really backing you up.  This is when we begin to know we can always rely on God to see us through…And He just keeps growing our knowing.  This is when we begin to enter His rest; that secure, loving dwelling place, where we can live trusting Him always…and that’s wonderful, that’s home.

Let patience have her perfect work in your life.

Memorize the Word.  No matter where He leads you, stay with Jesus.  Keep learning about Him.  Let Him teach you over and over again so you can be “thoroughly” full of “trusting Him.”  He’s bringing us home to live with Him in His house…☺

God bless,

Mark

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Letting God Build His Wonderful Character In Us

Hello Fellow Christians,

I’m learning more and more that God is much more interested in producing His character in me than anything else He could do for me.  Although it’s been extremely difficult to do at times, as I wait on Him, I’m also discovering that His character creates a freedom, joy, love, peace, rest, a liberating humility and enthusiasm that nothing else could create.

You see, if I had money, fame, and success apart from having God’s character, I’d still be restless, worried, impatient, etc.  I know this because we once had money and it was one of the most miserable times in our lives, really.  All we did was plan and worry over it.  It certainly didn’t bring us God’s character.  I can honestly tell you that.  Once the money was gone, God got our attention and began to put us back on His track to build His life-giving character in us.

His supernatural character is truly renewing my natural character and it’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever experienced.  Waiting on God (walking with Him no matter what) brings about change in us, and the change, I’m finding out, is what I’ve really wanted all along.  I mean nothing can compare to the real joy, trust, rest and still spirit He’s bringing about in my life.  And, it gets better and better, forever, folks…  ☺

Now, you may ask me how I know that letting God produce His character in us is worth everything.  My answer is simple and it’s the truth.  I know many who’ve sought education, status, money, fame, worldliness, and success who are still miserable because they never took the time to get to know God – at one time, I was like that.  On the other hand, those I know who have stayed with God, through it all, have real (not a superficial) peace and rest in their souls.  Following God is so worth it.

Boy, when I read today’s entry in Joyce Meyer’s “Closer to God Each Day Devotional,” it really blessed me and I could really relate.  I hope it blesses you, too.☺

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Be Patient (By Joyce Meyer)

But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.
James 1:4 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

James teaches us that we can rejoice when we find ourselves involved in difficult situations, knowing that God is trying our faith to bring out patience.  I have found that trials did eventually bring out patience in me, but first they brought a lot of other junk to the surface – such as pride, anger,m rebellion, self-pity, complaining, and many other things (my natural character – Mark’s edit).  It seems that these ungodly traits, with God’s help, need to be faced and dealt with because they hinder patience as well as other good fruit like kindness, love, humility, and other things (God’s supernatural character – Mark’s edit).

The Bible talks about purification, sanctification, and sacrifice.  These are not popular words; nevertheless, these are things we go through in order to become like Jesus in our character.  God’s desire is to make us perfect, lacking in nothing.  He wants us to ultimately be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which usually requires us to go through some difficulties that, although are unpleasant, do eventually help us mature.

I struggled with the difficulties in my life for a long time until I finally learned that God would work them out for good and use them to help me in many ways.  He simply wants you and me to surrender and say, “I trust You, God.  I believe when this difficulty is over, I will be a better person than I was before it began!”

No matter what you are going through, trust God that you are growing closer to Him each day!

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God bless you all,

Mark